THIS SEVENTH YEAR

Well, Radim set the stage for more personal contributions. I feel compelled to follow suit.

So this is our seventh year. I am well aware that we have said this many times, but I still feel a need to pause once more. This time, I am not thinking the fact that this festival has been around for seven years (which is in itself no small achievement), nor am I touting the growth of the festival over this time (as I think this is no longer needed). Rather, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the amazing, loyal and still growing group of crazy, yet tolerant, people who make up the festival organizing team (Yes, David G, Jana V, Jana T, Manish, Anila and Judita this includes you and many more). Way back seven years ago (and when we were all that much younger), it was about three people (Radim, Hanka and yours truly) who really wanted a place where they could watch Bollywood (and other Indian) films. Perhaps, we simply wanted a place to call our own, were we could be ourselves.


The next few years brought substantial growth and with it came more work and responsibility. And yes, there were many, many times, when I asked myself whether the pain, the stress, and strain on friendships was worth the trouble of putting on a Festival year after year. These questions were always temporarily answered on the opening night when the audiences piled into the theater to watch, participate and frolic with the world of Bollywood cinema.

But through all the years, I never really stopped to acknowledge that the reason I stayed on board is less about the promotion of Indian cinema in the Czech Republic, and more (and still more) about the unconventionally vibrant community that formed and continues to grow as we plan, stress and once again put on the festival every year. On our seventh anniversary (building on Radim's birthday theme), we have grown stronger, bolder and larger. And yet, we are as crazy as ever.

And so, I raise a glass to the the festival team's young and old(er). To many more plans, celebrations, conflicts and crises of this seventh year.
Sangita